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Enlarge ImageRequest to buy this photoJenna Watson | DispatchDeMarkus Minter, left, of Akron, prepares to fight Michael Shook, of Pittsburgh, during the
47th amateur boxing tournament at the Ohio State Fair. Minter won the match yesterday.

Visitors to the Ohio State Fair yesterday probably expected the aroma of funnel cakes. But what they might not have predicted were the sounds of dinging bells followed by fists smacking flesh.

Boxers young and old vied for championships in 21 bouts that capped the fair’s 47th amateur boxing tournament, which started with about 170 fighters ages 8 to 25 who weighed in on July 22, and ended with 31 winners in various categories, including 10 who were unopposed.

Yesterday’s fights at the ShowPlace Pavilion drew a crowd of more than 250 spectators as well as a steady flow of passers-by throughout the day.

Steve Gorski and his wife, Trisha, stopped by the pavilion during a break from visiting the fair’s sheep and cows with their daughters, Amelia, 4, and Abigail, 6, and their son, Zachary, 9.

Mr. Gorski, a former college boxer, didn’t know about the fair’s tournament and wanted his kids to get a glimpse of the action.

“It’s an exciting sport,” he said. “I wanted to at least show the kids what’s going on.”

Others came from throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania to cheer on friends and family members as they exchanged punches in the ring.

Gill recently returned from Las Vegas after taking third place in the national Junior Golden Gloves tournament this month with his team, PAL Zanesville Boxing.

Even though Gill lost yesterday’s fight, the courage to get in the ring is what matters most, Horner said.

“People get really excited about how well they fight,” Horner said. “It takes a lot of courage for those boys to get up there and do that.”

Matchups are determined by age and weight, said William Hodge, who was in charge of giving gloves to the fighters during the tournament.

Younger boxers fight in one of the pavilion’s two rings for three two-minute rounds. More advanced boxers fight in the other ring for three rounds lasting three minutes each.

“Points come from the center of the glove,” Hodge said. “Whoever lands the most punches with the center of the glove gets points, and then judges judge it on a point system.”

The tournament is held under sanction of the Ohio Association of United States Amateur Boxing.

Earlier last week, former Columbus boxer James “Buster” Douglas was at the tournament to coach his son and other boxers from the Thompson Recreation Center on Dennison Avenue in Columbus.

Douglas is famous for knocking out Mike Tyson in the 10th round to become heavyweight champion of the world on Feb. 10, 1990, in Tokyo.

Though the state fair’s amateur boxing event is finished, there are other athletic competitions coming up: a 5K run, arm wrestling and baton twirling today; a tae kwon do tournament on Saturday; and cheerleading and dance next Sunday.